Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Reykjavik and Saint Andrews

For one person, living is cheaper in Saint Andrews: $2,255 a month against $4,037 in Reykjavik, rent and utilities included – about $21,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

193

Cost of Living Index in Reykjavik
Learn more

Reykjavik Living Index
109

Cost of Living Index in Saint Andrews
Learn more

Saint Andrews Living Index

Jump to prices

Reykjavik

🇮🇸 Iceland

$4,037

/mo nomad

Saint Andrews

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,255

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Reykjavik and in Saint Andrews

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Reykjavik and in Saint Andrews actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $4,037 per month in Reykjavik vs $2,255 in Saint Andrews, rent included.

Reykjavik $4,037
Saint Andrews $2,255

A couple spends around $5,666 per month in Reykjavik vs $3,245 in Saint Andrews, rent included.

Reykjavik $5,666
Saint Andrews $3,245

A family of three spends $7,295 per month in Reykjavik vs $4,234 in Saint Andrews, rent included.

Reykjavik $7,295
Saint Andrews $4,234

Reykjavik costs about 79% more than Saint Andrews, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Reykjavik and Saint Andrews sit above the global median – Reykjavik by 201%, Saint Andrews by 68%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.59 ISK 3,730

$17.75 CA$25.30

72.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$136 ISK 16.5K

$63.8 CA$91.0

112.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$27.08 ISK 3,302

$10.59 CA$15.10

155.71%

Cappuccino

$6.72 ISK 819

$3.72 CA$5.30

80.65%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.27 ISK 399

$1.99 CA$2.83

64.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.16 ISK 386

$1.58 CA$2.25

100.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.91 ISK 1,696

$5.17 CA$7.38

169.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$12.06 ISK 1,470

$5.77 CA$8.22

109.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.04 ISK 248

$2.04 CA$2.91

White Bread (500g)

$4.32 ISK 527

$2.46 CA$3.51

75.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.67 ISK 447

$3.36 CA$4.79

9.23%

Eggs

$7.02 ISK 856

$3.47 CA$4.94

102.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$22.01 ISK 2,684

$9.72 CA$13.86

126.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$24.70 ISK 3,012

$11.12 CA$15.85

122.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$42.66 ISK 5,202

$14.72 CA$20.98

189.81%

Apples (1kg)

$3.37 ISK 412

$3.66 CA$5.22

-7.92%

Banana (1kg)

$2.85 ISK 347

$1.36 CA$1.93

109.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.17 ISK 387

$3.70 CA$5.28

-14.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.39 ISK 779

$3.73 CA$5.31

71.31%

Potato (1kg)

$4.01 ISK 489

$2.59 CA$3.70

54.83%

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 ISK 200

$2.25 CA$3.21

-27.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.80 ISK 463

$2.53 CA$3.61

50.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ISK 212

$1.57 CA$2.24

10.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.80 ISK 1,682

$13.96 CA$19.90

-1.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.38 ISK 2,851

$12.42 CA$17.70

88.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.53 ISK 430

$2.73 CA$3.89

29.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 ISK 420

$3.13 CA$4.46

10.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.77 ISK 704

$2.31 CA$3.29

149.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$95.1 ISK 11.6K

$63.1 CA$90.0

50.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.63 ISK 808

$2.82 CA$4.02

135.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.79 ISK 341

$1.49 CA$2.12

87.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$81.4 ISK 9,923

$23.25 CA$33.14

249.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.11 ISK 257

$1.11 CA$1.59

90.09%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$50.8K ISK 6.2M

$28.2K CA$40.1K

80.45%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$52.7K ISK 6.4M

$18.9K CA$26.9K

178.94%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$88.7 ISK 10.8K

$138 CA$197

-35.75%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$31.53 ISK 3,845

$38.11 CA$54.3

-17.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$84.6 ISK 10.3K

$55.0 CA$78.4

53.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$100 ISK 12.2K

$40.69 CA$58.0

146.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$48.20 ISK 5,877

$18.31 CA$26.10

163.24%

Cinema Ticket

$19.87 ISK 2,424

$10.95 CA$15.61

81.46%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,277 ISK 155.8K

$724 CA$1,033

76.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.0K ISK 3.8M

$13.3K CA$18.9K

132.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$161 ISK 19.6K

$54.2 CA$77.2

196.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$64.9 ISK 7,914

$37.35 CA$53.2

73.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$183 ISK 22.3K

$84.5 CA$120

116.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$254 ISK 31.0K

$99.9 CA$142

154.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,499 ISK 304.8K

$1,239 CA$1,766

101.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,000 ISK 243.9K

$1,151 CA$1,640

73.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,452 ISK 421.0K

$1,984 CA$2,829

73.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,742 ISK 334.4K

$1,678 CA$2,392

63.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,001 ISK 975.7K

$4,169 CA$5,942

91.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,249 ISK 762.1K

$3,576 CA$5,097

74.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,691 ISK 572.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.81

4.64

89.87%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Reykjavik: October 4, 2026

Last update for Saint Andrews: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Reykjavik

$2K 50.9%

Saint Andrews

$1.2K 50.7% 42.5% $849

Groceries & Markets

Reykjavik

$625 15.9%

Saint Andrews

$347 15.3% 44.5% $278

Eating Out

Reykjavik

$526 13.4%

Saint Andrews

$270 11.9% 48.7% $256

Clothing & Footwear

Reykjavik

$298 7.6%

Saint Andrews

$124 5.5% 58.3% $174

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Reykjavik

$205 5.2%

Saint Andrews

$231 10.2% 12.8% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Reykjavik

$140 3.6%

Saint Andrews

$63 2.8% 55.3% $78

Getting Around

Reykjavik

$139 3.5%

Saint Andrews

$83 3.6% 40.5% $56

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,499 in Reykjavik versus $1,239 in Saint Andrews. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $136 in Reykjavik versus $64.0 in Saint Andrews. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $625 vs $347 – making Saint Andrews the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇸 Reykjavik

🇨🇦 Saint Andrews

🕒 Local time

07:47 7:47 AM

04:47 4:47 AM

3 h behind Reykjavik

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

136,894 Capital

💱 Currency

Icelandic Króna ISK kr

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 ISK = 8.2 USD

1,000 ISK = 7.31 EUR

1 CAD = 0.702 USD

1 CAD = 0.626 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, USD, EUR to ISK – Icelandic Króna Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇸 Icelandic Króna (kr)

Icelandic Króna exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 122 ISK (1,000 ISK = 8.2 USD). 1 EUR = 137 ISK (1,000 ISK = 7.31 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 CAD (1 CAD = 0.702 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.626 EUR).

USD to ISK in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Reykjavik Saint Andrews 3,480 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Reykjavik
Saint Andrews

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Reykjavik vs Saint Andrews: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Reykjavik costs about 79% more than Saint Andrews, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $6,055 per month in Reykjavik and $3,383 in Saint Andrews. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Saint Andrews, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $4,037 in Reykjavik and $2,255 in Saint Andrews. That's a gap of about 79%.

Public transport costs about 51% less in Saint Andrews. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Saint Andrews, where all-in costs run around $2,255, than in Reykjavik at $4,037. In Saint Andrews it covers expenses comfortably, while in Reykjavik it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Saint Andrews costs $2,255 versus $4,037 in Reykjavik. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Saint Andrews. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Reykjavik makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.